Multi-trade offsite prefabrication refers to a building construction method by which multiple building components are constructed in an offsite facility for subsequent incorporation into a building under construction. Healthcare facilities such as hospitals and clinics are well suited to this process since they require the construction of complex, but repetitive elements such as patient rooms, patient bathrooms, clinical spaces and so-called mechanical/electrical/plumbing (MEP) systems.
MEP systems consist of racks which extend horizontally above a ceiling in a room or vertically within a wall. MEP systems in the healthcare setting typically include a rectangular frame configured for supporting heat, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) ducts and pipes for carrying water, electrical wiring and gasses such as oxygen. The frames are arranged to align the HVAC ducts and pipes supported by the frames with the ducts and pipes of adjacent MEP racks.